The Taming of the Hogwarts Shrew
by bowsbeforebros
Summary: Slight AU Katherine Hawthorne was a relatively quiet girl throughout her Hogwarts years. But after she snaps, a much more fiery version of herself is out for everyone to see. Sirius Black never really saw Katherine, but this new turn in her personality makes him wonder about her. But can Sirius tame the Hogwarts Shrew? SiriusxOC LilyxJames
1. Chapter 1: The Awakening

**I don't own Harry Potter or any of these characters besides my OC. Inspiration is going to be taken from The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare. If you haven't read that, you should, because it is fantastic. I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think! **

Not many people could blame Katherine for her fit of temper in the middle of sixth year. In fact, the reaction to the insults would be talked about for years to come. Katherine didn't have a big temper, in fact she handled most of the bullying dished out to her with a calm and cool glare.

Most of the bullies focused on her hair, the fact that she only focused on her classes, that she was a loner, and they even dug deep enough to insult her father's inventions. But she took all of these insults in stride. But on the first of October, Katherine finally snapped.

The day started normally. Lily Evans woke up early in order to get to the shower first, after all sharing a bathroom with four other girls, you have to get in early. Katherine was still sound asleep. Katherine continued to be asleep even through Lily's rustling around looking for her robes. Katherine finally woke up when Lily resorted to shaking her awake.

"Get UP! Come on Katherine! If you want to get a good seat in Professor Flower's class, YOU have to GET UP!"

"What time is it?" muttered Katherine, attempting to roll over and escape her friend's early morning wake up call.

"Classes start in TEN minutes! I WILL leave you behind if I have to."

And with that Katherine's eyes snapped open. With a quick fling of the covers and her wand in her hand, Katherine started muttering spells to get her books together, de-wrinkle her outfit and put her hair in to a manageable bun. Within five minutes, Katherine and Lily were walking down the stair case toward their class.

"You know, you have to teach me how to do that," Lily said, shaking her head at the impressiveness of her speed.

With a small smile for her friend, she said, "It's all in the wrist."

Both girls started walking quickly to the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom discussing the newest muggle film they had seen during the summer.

"I still can't believe Obi Wan died!"

"I stand firm in my thoughts that Leia and Luke should be together."

Their conversation continued similarly until Katherine made the mistake of bumping into one of the most sadistic Slytherins at Hogwarts, someone that even she loathed so much that she could only call him by his ancestral name: Mulciber.

"Watch where you are going. You filthy little half-blood," Mulciber seethed.

"I am-"started Katherine.

Mulciber cut in before she could even mutter an apology, "Although, what could I expect from someone who has mud in their blood. After all, you have now ruined my robes, which are probably worth more than your entire dirty little hovel you call home."

"It's not her fault!" exclaimed Lily hotly. She often came to Katherine's defense against the Slytherins.

"I'll replace them, if you'd like," offered Katherine, trying to find a peaceful solution, and shooting a glance at her friend to let her know that she could handle it.

"I don't need a disgusting little half-blood to buy me new robes! Especially when it's probably her bloody mudblood mother giving her the money," Now Mulciber's anger became a sadistic sneer, "Oh wait, that's right your mother is dead. You killed her. I suppose we should give you an award for disposing of trash. One less mudblood to pollute the Wizarding World. When you came into this world, you removed a filthy mudblood whore from ours. If only you could've gotten rid of your bloodtraitor father in the same moment-"

It was in that moment, Katherine realized what the words Mulciber was spitting at her actually meant. A wave of rage hit her hard, clouding all her senses. She couldn't see the surprise and anger etched on Lily's face at his words. She didn't register the Marauders come around the corner and stare in shock as the kind mousy girl laid away to an angel of Vengance. She didn't realized her wand was already in her hand and curses were spouting from the end of it. She didn't see Professor McGonagall and Professor Flower disarming her. Or the shock on her fellow housemates' faces. By the time Katherine's mind finally came back to her, she was seated in the Headmaster's office.


	2. Author's note

**Hello dear readers! (If there are any?) I'd just like to say that the next chapter ought to be up by Friday (?) Um, besides the whole updating thing, I'd like to address my very first critique, which I was really excited about, then disappointed and I reached a whole level of like what? **

**SO for those who haven't read it, a Guest wrote it (If you are reading this guest, I would have messaged you but alas I cannot) **

Why would he want to "tame" her to begin with? Because girls shouldn't be strong and "fiery?" Let's put her in her "place?"

**This is a good question and after I read it I knew I wouldn't be able to write until I responded. I wrote in the very beginning of my story that I took inspiration from William Shakespeare's **_**The Taming of the Shrew**_** which if you didn't dare to look it up on Sparknotes I'll give you a quick thing, a guy goes to a city with his servant to study but he sees a girl and decides he wants to marry her, but her father declares that her elder sister must be married first. Her elder sister is so horrible (horrible meaning not how a lady should act back in Shakespeare's time) that no one wants to marry her. So the guy and the other three suitors for the younger sister end up paying a guy to marry the elder sister so they can attempt to court the younger sister. **

**Now I won't ruin the ending for you, but it has to be one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. I did not mean to give the impression that Katherine will be tamed, no sir she won't, and I never said she'd get put in her "place". I merely would like to use some of the plot points from the story that truly inspired it. If you still don't like it or you're angry cause I implied that Sirius would want to tame her ( upon which I never truly gave you a reason why and in which he won't succeed) I can only suggest that you just don't read this story, and I am sorry you wasted your time.**

**Anyways as I said before my slight rant, I'll try to get the next chapter up before next Friday, but classes are starting so that could be subject to change.**

**Have a good day everyone! **


	3. Chapter 2: Consequences

**Once again I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I also don't own The actual book Taming of the Shrew, I'm just borrowing some ideas from Shakespeare. I hope you enjoy this new chapter! And the next one will be on next Friday! Have a Great Day!**

When Katherine finally came back to herself, she sat in one of the plush armchairs, in a place that could only be Dumbledore's office. Her blue-green eyes drank in everything around her, taking note of Professor McGonagall standing behind Professor Dumbledore. She took note of their worried glances at her. She took note of the portraits around the room of the past headmasters and headmistresses which shook their heads and looked disapprovingly at her, as if they couldn't believe a young lady would fight like she had.

She returned her wandering eyes back to Professor Dumbledore.

"Miss Hawthorne, Professor McGonagall and I broke up a duel between you and Mr. Mulciber today, perhaps you could tell me why, as I am sure you understand that dueling is prohibited."

Dumbledore just looked at her, waiting for an answer. An answer that could possibly get her expelled for the damage she had done.

She gathered her inner strength and convictions. Trying to find the words to explain why she had attacked so savagely, how Mulciber cracked her shell, how he had provoked her to the point where she no longer had control over her actions, that it was like she was watching herself fight from someone else's point of view.

"Professor Dumbledore. The reason I attacked Mulciber was because he," she stopped again trying to force herself to calm down. To prevent herself from getting right back to when she was fighting him, "he's been bullying myself and several others here at Hogwarts. And usually I can take it. I'm not afraid of him and usually when he does this all I feel is pity that he needs to lash out at us in order to feel more self-confident. But today… Today Professor, he brought family into it. He called my mother some of the worst things you can call a muggleborn witch. He was spouting blood purity and he mentioned MY mother, Professor. He can say anything he wants about me or my intelligence or my looks, but the moment he mentions MY MOTHER, he crosses the line. He said it was MY fault that she died, that she DESERVED it, and that he should THANK me for killing my mother in childbirth. He said that my father, a man who tries to invent spells to help Wizarding kind, is a BLOODTRAITOR and… I couldn't let him get away with it, because if I let him say these things this time. He would keep saying these lies in front of me, he would keep lying about my parents and he would shove it into my face and all of Hogwarts would think it was acceptable to bring up something that I am very touchy about, that I am very defensive about. So I had to duel him, and I am not sorry for what I did. I will not apologize for something I saw as right. For something he had coming!"

Both Dumbledore and McGonagall looked at each other and a sense of understanding passed between both of them. Both had known her mother, and both of them knew how sore her daughter, the little girl she died giving birth to, still felt about it. It was a taboo subject for the Hawthornes and in the girl's eyes, she saw that she had done nothing wrong.

"Miss Hawthorne, we understand that you were provoked and bullied for quite some time, and while we don't condone your actions, we understand them and your reasoning for them."

"Yes, but will I be expelled?"

Dumbledore looked at her over his half-moon glasses, a small smile on his face, "No, Miss Hawthorne, I could not allow such a bright student slip through Hogwarts's fingers. You will stay Miss Hawthorne, but you will have about a month's worth of detention with Professor McGonagall."

"Thank you Professor Dumbledore. I'll see you tomorrow Professor McGonagall."

Katherine stood from her plush armchair and began walking towards the door.

"Oh, and Miss Hawthorne, if you feel inclined to duel again, it's best not to do so in plain view."

"Yes, Professor."

Katherine raced down the staircase heading straight to Gryffindor tower, anxious to see Lily and tell her what had happened.

When Katherine reached the Common room, Lily sat nervously in an armchair in front of the fire, reading a book to calm her nerves.

"Hey Lily, I-"

"KATHERINE MARIE HAWTHORNE," Lily shouted standing up as soon as she heard her friend's voice, "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? WHAT DID PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE SAY? ARE YOU EXPELLED? I TRIED TO FOLLOW SO THAT I COULD ACT AS A WITNESS BUT MCGONAGALL SAID I COULDN'T AND I-" At this point a crowd had come out of the dorms following the sound of Lily's shouting. Each of the students were curious as to what had happened. The Hogwarts rumor mill must have been pumping out some pretty fantastical ones from the amount of whispering that was occurring.

"Lily. Let's discuss this in our room, you know, without the audience."

Lily seemed to notice all of their fellow students surrounding them watching as if this was another one of their soap operas.

"Alright then." And with that both Lily and Katherine moved quickly to their dorm to discuss the events.

After Katherine finished telling Lily everything that had happened, Lily looked at her in slight awe.

"I knew as soon as he mentioned your family, he had crossed a line that never should be crossed. He was completely out of line. And your reaction, it was as if someone or something else was in control."

"It was as if someone kicked me out of my own body and was controlling it. I mean, I was in control but, I didn't really realize that I was doing it. You know?"

"It doesn't matter Katherine. Everything will be okay. And those Slytherins won't be messing with you again. Rumor is that Mulciber will be in the Hospital Wing for three weeks."

"Thank goodness, I won't have to see him. I just have to be careful of retaliation."

"I'm just glad you aren't expelled"

And with that, they both readied for bed, slightly worried for what Mulciber's Slytherin cronies had in mind.


	4. Chapter 3: The first of many conflicts

**Super duper sorry that I am super late! Between school and work, I've been busy. But no more excuses, on to the next chapter! I hope you enjoy this one!**

**Anyway I sadly don't own Harry Potter**

Time moved slowly after the incident. Although Katherine was getting used to the whispers and rumors that circulated about her "event" with Mulciber, the fact that no one would speak to her or that they'd pretend she didn't exist when she spoke to them, still got to her. In fact the only people who would willingly converse with her were the professors, Lily and Remus. The other Marauders dealt with her only because she was with Lily a majority of the time, due to the fact Lily no longer trusted her not to lose her temper if someone from Slytherin even looked her way.

But it was an ordinary day when it all came to a head. All the tension came to head when Black smirked at her and then whispered something to Potter. Lily had run off to check something in the library, so no one was there to keep her temper in check. All the annoyances and hurt feelings from the two week long, school wide gossip session came to the forefront of her mind.

"What is so funny, Black?" The look in her eyes was the same that the Marauders had witnessed during her "temper tantrum" as Sirius liked to call it.

"Oh, nothing that would concern _you _Hawthorne."

"If you are going to say something about me, _Black,_" her words were scathing, "at _least_ have the _courage_ and the _balls_ to do it to my face."

"_Fine._ I was just saying to James here that I find it absolutely ravishing when you leave the back of your skirt tucked into your underwear like that" and with those words, Katherine turned a bright red, tears filled her eyes and suddenly she no longer stood so breathtakingly defiant. She now seemed as if she was a little girl again pulled to the front of the class and was made to wear the dunce cap of the classroom.

With a glare, Katherine regained her composure, fixed her skirt and pulled out her wand.

"I had no clue you had to resort to tricks to be able to pull one over on me, Black. I thought you were better than that."

"And here I thought you wouldn't need any help in the bathroom anymore. Does Lily help you use the toilet too?"

As quickly as she had gained her composure it was again lost to her. Black had his wand out as did Potter and Pettigrew.

"Two and a half against one? I always knew this is how you won your battles Black."

And with that statement put out there, Lily and Remus opened the portrait hole and were not entirely shocked at what they saw.

The room was filled with upper classmen with the younger students on the stairs. Katherine was staring down Black and Potter while Pettigrew hid slightly behind them.

Lily turned to Remus, "If you grab your friends, I'll grab mine."

And with this strategy, they both managed to diffuse the situation, with Lily leading Katherine to the stairs that went to their dormitory.

Remus was trying his best to herd his friends towards their room as well to have a private Marauders meeting.

Sitting in their room, Remus closed the door and spelled it to keep all eavesdroppers and spies out.

"You know James, if you want Lily to like you back you have to not help Sirius instigate these fights."

"Oh come on, Moony! She starts them. And Prongs here is just following the bro code and sticking with me. Having my back."

"Yes, well, him having your back is ruining every chance he could have with Lily."

"Well maybe he doesn't need Lily! We could certainly find him a better broad!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa here. I really like Lily, Padfoot. I don't want somebody else. Maybe Moony is right. Maybe we should just leave the girl alone…"

"And apologize to her. It'll make you look good in Lily's eyes," Remus said kindly to James. If it helped win Lily over, James would be all for it.

"Apologize? Why should I? She was the one who started it!" Sirius was starting to lose his temper. His grey eyes were sparkling with anger.

"Yes, but you were the one who publicly humiliated her," Remus's voice was getting deadly patient. At this point, he was starting to lose his cool as well.

"But-"

"Sirius, you both said hurtful things back there. But the least you could do is apologize. To be a gentleman and chivalrous, like the Gryffindor code."

"I WILL NOT-"

"You WILL AND THAT'S FINAL SIRIUS. THERE WILL BE NO MORE ARGUMENTS ON THIS."

The sound of Remus shouting echoed in the room. He rarely ever shouted or fought, choosing to stay out of these type of situations. But it was close to the full moon and his inner wolf saw Sirius arguing as a rebellion against his alpha.

"I'm sorry I yelled, Sirius. It's just… Close to the full moon is all… Just please. Apologize. For me."

"Fine," Sirius muttered.

And with that final utterance, Remus wondered how this apology would go… He hoped for his sake and for Lily's that it went well. If it didn't, then the next few months of their year would be committed trying, and more than likely failing, to keep the peace.


	5. Chapter 4: An Anti-climax and a thought

**Hey everyone! Sorry I'm late. AGain. College is really killing me. But I will continue to post. It just might not be every Friday. SO.. Sorry about that! Anyways, In the last chapter I made a reference to HIMYM so good catch on that! **

**I don't own Harry Potter, and if I did, it probably would be as good as JK Rowling. Enjoy!**

The next morning, Katherine and Lily actually made it down in time for breakfast, which was a miracle in itself, just in time to see a large crowd standing in the Great Hall. It seemed like everyone in Hogwarts, even the ghosts, were anticipating Katherine's reaction to Sirius's apology. The teachers sat stiffly in their chairs, anxious, and ready at any minute to break up a fight between, arguably the two of the best duelers in Hogwarts.

Katherine however had reverted to her pre-fight mentality, ignoring all the stares and whispers that were being said about her. Lily had difficulty ignoring her peers muttering and placing bets on whether or not her friend would explode on Black or not.

"Katherine, please, please, please just accept Black's apology. Don't give these people what they want. They are all quite despicable, and," at this point Lily raised her voice for any eavesdroppers, which at this point was pretty much everyone in the Great Hall, "If they want to see you lose your temper then Merlin help them if they are struck by a missed spell."

With her words a majority of the population stopped crowding Katherine and herself. Some even going so far as to plaster themselves against the walls.

"Don't worry Lily, I have 25 galleons riding on the fact I won't be dueling with Black."

"How did you- You know what. I don't even want to know."

"You see I may have liberated some of-"

"Don't include me in your illegal activities."

And with that it seemed the Sea of eager Hogwarts students parted, as the Marauders led by a particularly annoyed Remus Lupin, walked over towards Katherine. And with a glare from Remus which quite frankly screamed "Apologize or else" Black stepped forward.

"Look. Hawthorne. I-" His sentence was interrupted by Remus's elbow making room for itself in Sirius's gut.

"Katherine," Sirius started again, "I'd like to apologize for what I said to you the other day. It was quite wrong of me to be so rude about alerting you to your wardrobe malfunction. Next time I won't mention it."

This had most of the student body snickering, the tales of what was said had spread throughout the school and almost everyone knew what had occurred.

Katherine's eyes grew steely after that statement and her wandhand seemed to inch towards the holster she wore on her thigh. But her eyes softened, most likely she thought of the money she had riding on the bets, which could buy her some new books and chocolate.

With a hum, Katherine gave a small gracious smile.

"Thank you _Sirius_. I appreciate your apology. I too would like to apologize about insinuating that the only reason you won your battles was that _Potter_ won them for you."

The Great Hall was so quite you could hear a pin drop. Every one tensed. Even the Marauders had flinched at the biting comeback that had been delivered by such a smiling face.

Sirius Black tensed, like a cat ready to pounce. He looked out of the corner of his eye, and saw James, looking longingly in Lily's direction. He knew he had to take it. For James's miniscule chances with Lily. The Marauders' code. He had to keep it. Had to. He couldn't turn his back on the only family he ever truly had.

"I accept your apology… _Katherine_."

And with that Sirius sat down to eat his breakfast, the Marauders at his side. Everyone in the Great Hall was shocked at the fact that no fight had broken out, and the few that had bet that Katherine wouldn't fly off the handle, which just so happened to count Katherine thanks to some liberated polyjuice potion, smiled at all the money they would be raking in.

"So that's my plan to get Lily to go out with me. What do you think, Padfoot?"

"What?" Sirius said, jerking his head back to his friends away from the infuriating Katherine Hawthorne. "I missed what you said."

"The plan is that we push you off the Astronomy tower and Lily will be so full of pity for James that she will date him," Remus said with a straight face.

"What?" Sirius shrieked, not at all sounding like a girl, unlike how some of the witness would proclaim.

"Where in Merlin is your head, Sirius?" Remus said, slightly concerned.

"I bet he's thinking about Hawthorne. I mean after all, Sirius loves a challenge, and not to mention she is like the only girl, besides my sweet Lily of course, that isn't interested and regularly argues with him."

And with those words, Sirius's mind left his friends once more and began pondering whether or not he actually liked the girl with long brown hair and a fire-y attitude.


End file.
